Perivale Community
Perivale is located in Campbell Township at the southern end of Lake Kagawong. The first settler was Joseph Cherry of English descent. About the year 1874 Joseph and his wife into the bush beside the lake. They shoveled snow and built a cabin on the farm now occupied by the Sloss family. Other settlers followed within the year. The first of these were Sandy Dawson, who lived where Bruce's Resort is now. Sandy McColeman, a Highland Scot with his wife and family of seven sons and seven daughters shortly followed taking 800 acres of land for there homestead. Mr. McColeman had a mail boat named "The Argyle", which the settlers always called, "The Black Boat". With this vessel he transported the mail, settlers, and other small freight the whole length of Lake Kagawong between Perivale and Kagawong. This was the only means of transportation in those days before the roads where built. Other settler names in the Perivale area were Kennedy, Clarke, McEachern, Moore, Campbell, Wilson, McKechnie, and McKenzie.
About ten to fifteen years after the first settlers, several other families arrived to build there homes. The names of this wave of settlers were Brethat, Johnston, Bryan. William Bryan with a family of several boys and girls settled on a farm which is now owned by Don Orford. Other names in the second group of settlers also were McEwans and Burkes.
The first inland Post Office on Manitoulin was opened at Perivale around the year 1880 at the home of Samuel Clark. After a few years the office was moved to the home of Bill Campbell, and later to Sandy McColeman's. In 1888 the office was moved to the home of John Clark where it remained for fifty two years. Nelson Pierce who came once a week in the summer was the first on the Island to carry mail regularly, except between lake ports.